Hospitality budgeting tips for 2026 — improving the guest experience

Hotel guests in 2025 and for the near future are seeking out contactless, seamless and convenient experiences. Further, they expect connectivity throughout the property with easy access to the broadcast and streaming entertainment they love. Simply put, hotels today must offer connectivity at least equal to, preferably better, than what their guests can access at home.

While hoteliers remain focused on providing those entertainment options, they are also concerned with protecting guest data and mitigating cyberthreats. This in addition to the more traditional focus on ensuring the physical well-being of guests, staff, and the investments chains and independents alike have made in their properties.

Contactless check in is preferable, but not yet seamless

For 2025, research indicates that 70% of American travelers are likely to check themselves into a hotel using an app or a self-service kiosk instead of a traditional front desk. Among Gen Z travelers, this number bumps up considerably. Still, 82% percent of loyalty members report dissatisfaction with existing systems, including lengthy check-in processes, limited flexibility and service models that fail to meet expectations.

Front line workers and IT staffing shortages persist across the industry. Almost two-thirds (65%) of hotels continue to report shortages, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Beyond offering new benefits and higher pay to attract workers, hoteliers are seeking technology partners that can automate tasks like check-in and check-out, and provide solutions that give guests more control over the technology in their rooms and help optimize human resources.

More hoteliers are looking to AI

Over 70% of major hotel brands have turned to AI-powered solutions, with usage expected to rise by 30% in 2026. Industry insiders predict that larger hotels will turn to AI personalization engines to offer tailored recommendations, based on past behaviors and preferences. AI will also deliver predictive analytics to bolster demand forecasting, which will help management fine-tune pricing and occupancy. Robotics and AI-powered virtual concierges are predicted to grow in utility and offer guests truly seamless, voice-activated interactions.

As AI and robotics become more embedded across hotels, it’s vital to have fast, reliable and scalable bandwidth to ensure the AI is optimized on a scalable, efficient and secure low-latency network. Hotels with a thoughtful approach to AI can better empower staff, enhance guest experiences and sharpen their competitive edge. They should:

• Ensure chatbots and virtual assistants are ready for AI agents by guaranteeing your network has low-latency, fast and responsive connectivity. 
• Improve operations via advanced data analytics optimized for AI with a network platform that offers adaptive routing to avoid network congestion. 
• Provide AI-driven personalized services and recommendations to guests and lift marketing ROI with effective, highly targeted content. 
• Use AI-enhanced robotic devices for concierge services, deliveries to guest rooms and repetitive cleaning tasks to reduce waiting and help offset labor shortages.

The increasing importance of in-room entertainment

Industry research shows that 87% of guests watch live TV in the hotel room, with 72% watching premium channels and streaming TV, and 66% accessing on-demand content. By deploying a modern, branded and content rich in-room entertainment (IRE) experience hotels can create a more engaging guest experience that simultaneously promotes the hotel’s brand.

However, improving the guest experience is only the beginning of what in-room entertainment can provide hoteliers. The best solutions can also enhance communication, provide contactless services and drive brand equity. Hoteliers can create a branded, unified experience with a welcome page that features property logos and photos, as well as personalized messages for guests. Guests can view hotel charges, use express checkout, and reserve amenities like valet, dry cleaning, and in-room dining, all from their TV — which can help to drive guest spending and revenue per available room (RevPAR).

In fact, 72.6% of guests are likely to return to a hotel if it provides advanced technology for in-room entertainment. Hotels are seeking partners that can deliver the content guests love in cost-efficient and flexible ways. 

Spectrum Business can help

As hoteliers begin the 2026 budgeting season, they should select partners that can help them create guest-centric technology experiences that help increase guest satisfaction, bolster network security, drive productivity and increase revenues.​​

Spectrum Business helps hoteliers of all sizes and types deliver the secure, convenient, and seamless guest facing technology experiences modern travelers expect. ​

We do this by providing flexible solutions that help hotel management and IT staff provide guests and staff with reliable, secure, and easy to access connectivity. We deliver property wide WiFi, revenue generating in-room entertainment solutions, a cloud-based voice platform that personalizes the guest experience, and a network solution based on the Cisco Meraki platform that helps hotel IT and support teams focus more on guests and less on network management.​

As you work through your 2026 budgets and technology roadmaps, you should consult our Spectrum Business Hotel Technology Budgeting Checklist for some helpful guidelines and suggestions.